BOSTON — Max Talbot will begin his third NHL stint of the season Saturday night after an injury to Bruins winger Frank Vatrano necessitated a roster move.
Vatrano was ruled out for Boston’s matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs after sustaining an upper body injury Thursday night, and Talbot was recalled from Providence on an emergency basis to fill the vacancy in the lineup.
The veteran forward is expected to center the Bruins’ fourth line between Zac Rinaldo and Tyler Randell. Winger Matt Beleskey is expected to bump from the third line to the second, where Vatrano had been slotted before his injury.
“It’s part of the gig,” Talbot told reporters Saturday morning, via BostonBruins.com. “It’s something that, when you look at it, you go down (to the AHL) and play a little bit more, you play in different situations, and when you’re asked to be here or someone goes down, you just try to do the job as well as you can and adjust and help the team.
“And hopefully when you come back here, you play well enough that you can stay here.”
Talbot has a goal and five assists in seven games with the P-Bruins this season. He’s yet to record a point in five contests with the big club.
Head coach Claude Julien told reporters he expects Vatrano to practice Sunday.
The Maple Leafs enter Saturday’s game in last place in the Atlantic Division but trail the Bruins by just one point after winning five of their last six games.
Here are Saturday’s projected lines and pairings, as reported by each team:
BOSTON BRUINS (9-8-1)
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Jimmy Hayes
Matt Beleskey — David Krejci — Loui Eriksson
Ryan Spooner — Joonas Kemppainen — Brett Connolly
Zac Rinaldo — Max Talbot — Tyler Randell
Zdeno Chara — Colin Miller
Dennis Seidenberg — Zach Trotman
Torey Krug — Adam McQuaid
Tuukka Rask
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (7-9-4)
James van Riemsdyk — Nazem Kadri — Leo Komarov
Shawn Matthias — Tyler Bozak — Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau
Daniel Winnik — Byron Froese — Joffrey Lupul
Michael Grabner — Peter Holland — Brad Boyes
Jake Gardiner — Dion Phaneuf
Matt Hunwick — Morgan Rielly
Martin Marincin — Roman Polak
James Reimer
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
